His death, at the age of 50, came as shock to South Africans, who flooded social media with tribute messages in his honour.

On Wednesday, a rugby tweeter posted an inspiring story on how Madiba saved Small's life in 2001.

According to Twitter user Oom Rugby, Small wanted to end his own life in 2001.

"He went to stay at his mother's home to get away from the media and the glaring. Nobody could get hold of him and most people did not even know where he was. Then the phone rang and his mother answered it," Oom Rugby wrote.

"James says it was the moment that changed his life. The fact that Mr Mandela bothered to have concern about him, and then somehow got his people to track him down. And then to deliver such a perspective. A guy who went through much much worse. That is when James stood up again."

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